Steering mechanism for motor-vehicles.



F NEUDORFP.

STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED D130. 22, 1911. 1,1 31,729, Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Qwuwtoz P. NEUDORPP. STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED 1330.22, 1911. 1 1 3 1 ,729.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

2 BHBETQ-SHEET 3.

' wi lmeooeo Xam energies,

FREDERICK NEUDORFF, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

' STEERING- IJZECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar, 16, 1915,,

Application filed December 22, 1811. Serial No. 867,381.

the steering wheel.

Another object is to provide a steering gearadapted to steer a pluralityof sets of wheels, so that the sets can be controlled separately ortogether and positioned alike or differently, whereby the vehicle can becaused to turn curves or run obliquely.

l/Vith these and other objects in view, the present invention consistsin the combination and arrangement of the parts as will be hereinaftermore fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details, may bemade within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of theoperative portions of the device showing the vehicle platform and wheelsdiagrammatically. Fig. 2 is a plan view of an axle showing a portion ofthe steering mechanism in section. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly insection of that portion of the steering mechanism shown in Fig. 2. Fig 1is a detail sectional view of a part of the operating mechanism.

Similar reference numerals in all the figures of the drawings designatelike parts.

This improved steering mechanism is especially adapted for motorvehicles wherein both the front and rear sets of wheels are operated toguide the vehicle and as shown in Fig. 1, A. designates the platform andB the wheels.

In motor trucks of this class which are adapted for heavy hauling, arigid steering post. 6 is usually provided, through which extends thesteering shaft 7 having a steering wheel secured thereto, marked 8. Inthe present invention, I the lower end of said steering shaft hassecured thereon a bevel connected one end of a link rod gear wheel 9,which meshes with two beveled pinions 10 and 11 positioned diametricallyopposite each other, the pinion 10 being keyed to a hollow shaft 12, andthe pinion 11 being loosely mounted on a shaft 13 which passes throughsaid shaft 12.

Mounted upon the shaft 13, intermediate the pinions 10 and 11, featheredto and adapted to slide thereon, is a grooved clutchsleeve 14, havingclutches at each end, which wvhen thrown into engagement with the pinion10, causes the shaft 12 to rotate with said pinion when the steeringWheel is operated, and when said clutch sleeve is thrown into engagementwith the pinion 11, causes said shaft 13 to be operated through saidpinion. Means are provided to shift said clutch sleeve'l4 as desired,that is, to one of three positions, viz: into engagement with pinion 10,pinion 11, or a neutral position, and said means is preferablyconstructed as follows:

' To a suitable bracket 15, secured to the vehicle frame, one arm roller17 sleeve 14:

is pivoted an angle lever 16, of which is provided with a pin or toengage the groove in the clutch and to the other arm is pivotally 18,whose other end is pivotally connected to one end of hand lever 19,which in turn is pivoted intermediate its length to the steering post 6.Secured to said lever 19 is a segment 20 provided with a plurality ofnotches 21 in its periphery, said segment being partially inclosed in asuitable housing 22.

The clutch sleeve 14: is locked in one of the three positions abovementioned, by a spring held pawl 23, which is pivoted at 24: to the post6, the nose 25 of said pawl being adapted to engage the notches 21 inthe se ment 20, and said pawl is provided with hand grasp 26 whereby itcan be disengaged from said notches as desired.

The axles of the vehicle are provided with the usual pivoted wheelspindles 27 having the steering arms 28, secured thereto, and in thepresent embodiment of the invention, said steering arms 28 are connectedtogether with a positively guided, sliding drag link 29, preferablyrectangular in cross section having threads 29 ports 30 and 31, securedto the-axles, and provided at their ends with elongated slotted heads32, in which, are adapted to slide the blocks 33, to which the steeringarms are pivoted. Thus it will be readily mounted in suitable supseen,that, a movement in either direction of the drag links 29 turns thewheel spindles upon their pivots.

Draglinks 29 are reciprocated in their bearings preferably by internallythreaded worm nuts 34 which engage the threads 29, and said worm nutsare parts of bevel gear wheels 35, mounted concentrically with the axesof said drag links. Gear wheels 35 mesh with bevel gear wheels 36secured upon suitable shafts 37, 37, which are mounted in suitablebearings 38, and the supports 31, the latter being a casing around thegears 35 and 36.

Shaft 37 has a universal connection 39 intermediate its ends, and at oneend is provided with a pinion 40 which meshes with a pinion 41 securedto the hollow shaft 12. Thus the drag link of the front wheels'isoperatively connected with the steering wheel when the clutch sleeve 14is in engagement with the pinion 10. Shaft 37 is also provided with auniversal connection, one end of which is connected to shaft 13. Thusthe drag link of the rear wheels is operatively connected with thesteering wheel, when the clutch sleeve 14 is in engagement with eitherof the pinions 10 or 11.

For convenience in mounting, the drag links are preferably formed in twosections, the end of one section being rounded and threaded as shown at42, whereby it can be screwed into the opposing end of the other sectionand locked into position by the lock The operation of the device is asfollows: Assuming'that the clutch sleeve 14 is in a neutral position, asshown in the drawings,

a movement of the steering wheel 8 trans- 41, shaft 37, gears 36, 35,and worm nut 34,

thus operating only the front wheels.

When the clutch sleeve 14 is shifted to the 'rear or in engagement withthe gear 10, the hollow shaft 12 and shaft- 13 are rotated in the samedirections sliding both of the drag links in like directions andoperating both sets of wheels, but owing to the position of theoperating mechanism relative to the axles, the wheels are moved inopposite directions, positioning them to round a curve, and when theclutch sleeve 14 is shifted to the front or in engagement with the gear10, thehollow shaft 12 and the shaft 13 are rotated in oppositedirections, sliding the drag links in opposite directions and movingboth sets of wheels to run in the sane"; direction or obliquely.

As thus constructed it will be clearly seen that it is impossible totransmit any jars to a the steering wheel, and in providing a.positively guided drag link the wheels are posisaid elongated heads andtransversely relative to the axis of said drag-link. v

8. A steering mechanism, comprising a guided drag link having teeth upona portion of its length and provided with beads at'each end, blocksadapted to slide in said heads transversely relative to the axis of saiddrag-link and to which the ends of the steering arms of pivoted wheelspindles are pivoted, means mountedconcentrically on said drag link andadapted to engage said teeth to reciprocate said drag link, and meansfor operating said reciprocating means.

4. A steering mechanism comprising a guided drag link having teeth,means for connecting the ends of said drag link to the steering arms ofthe pivoted wheel spindles of a vehicle, and means for reciprocatingsaid drag link embodying an internally threaded gear wheel mounted onsaid drag link its internal threads adapted to engage the teeth on saidlink, a shaft provided with gear wheels on each end one of which mesheswith said internally threaded gear wheel, a second shaft having gearwheels on each end one of which meshes with one of said gears on thefirst mentioned shaft, and a steering shaft having a hand wheel and agear which meshes with a shaft.

5. A steering mechanism, comprising a guided drag-link havingteeth on aportion of its length, means for connecting the ends of said drag-linkto thepivoted wheel spindles, an internally threaded gear mounted aroundsaid drag-link with its internal threads engaging the teeth on said linkand fixed in position against other than rotary movement, and means forrotating said threaded gear.

6. A steering mechanism, comprising gear on said second mentioneddrag-links for both the front and rear sets a of wheels of a vehicle,gear-wheels on said drag-links for reciprocating the same, a shaftprovided with gear-wheels on each end one of which engages with one ofthe drag-link gears, a second shaft having gear-Wheels on each end oneof which engages the remaining gear on said first mentioned shaft, asteering shaft provided with a gear-wheel which engages the remainingear on-the second mentioned shaft, a thir shaft having a. gear-wheelwhich engages the other drag-link gear, and means for connecting saidsecond and third shafts together to cause them to rotate in the samedirection.

7. A steering mechanism, comprising drag-links for both the front andrear wheels of a vehicle, gear-wheels on said drag-links forreciprocating the same, a shaft provided with gear-wheels on each"end-one of which engages one of the draglink gears, a second shafthaving gearwheels on each end one of which engages the remaininggear-ion said first mentioned shaft,,a steering shaft provided with agear- Wheel which engages the remaining gear on the second mentionedshaft, a third shaft having a gear-Wheel which engages the other.drag-link gear and also a loosely mounted gear-Wheel which meshes withthe steering shaft gear, and means for connect.- ing said loose gear tosaid third shaft to cause said second and third shafts to rotate inopposite directions.

8. A' steering mechanism, comprising drag-links .for both the front andrear Wheels of a vehicle, gear-wheels on saiddrag-links forreciprocating the same, a shaft provided with gear-wheels on eachend'one of which engages with one of the drag-link gears, a tubularsecond shaft having gear-wheels on eachend one of which engages theremaining gear on said first mentioned shaft, a steering shaft providedwith a gear-wheel which engages with the remaming gear on the secondmentioned shaft,

a third shaft partially supported in said tubular second shaft andhaving a gearwheel which engages the other drag-link gear, and means tocause said steering shaft to rotate said second and third shafts in thesame or opposite directions.

9. A steering mechanism, comprising drag-links for both the front andrear wheels of a vehicle, gear-wheels on said gear and the other draglink gear respectively, and means keyed to slide on said third shaftbeneath the steering Wheel gear to cause said steering shaft to rotatesaid second and third shafts in the same or opposite directions.

10. A steering mechanism, comprising reciprocating drag-links for boththe front and rear wheels of a vehicle, a steering shaft having agear-Wheel on its lower end, an operating connection between thesteering shaft and the drag-link of the rear wheels, asecond operatingconnection between the steering shaft and the drag-links of the frontwheels, said second operating connection embodying two separate shaftsgeared at one end to each other and having their other ends connectedrotatably to the steering wheel gear and the front drag-linkrespectlvely, adjusting means for causing said steering shaft to rotatethe two separate operating connections in the same or oppositedirections, and means mounted on said steering shaft for controllingsaid adjustaround the longitudinal axis thereof, said rotatable meanssupporting said drag-link and adapted to reciprocate said link back andforth in a true line, and means for rotating said rotatable means.

In testimony whereof I afiix in presence of twovwitnes'ses.

FREDERICK. NEUDORFF.

Witnesses:

HENRY V. Bonn, FRED H. HALL.

my signature copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each,by addressing the "Gomminloner oi Iatentn,

Washington, D. G."

